Tortall’s Worst Kept Secret
by Lady Genevieve
Summary: Fifty themes on Buri and Raoul [Complete]


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**Tortall's Worst Kept Secret - Fifty Themes on Buri and Raoul**

_I adore the idea of fifty sentences on one 'ship but due to the fact that I am a terrible obeyer of rules most of these turned out to be more than one sentence long. Sorry about that. This is done using theme set Beta from the LJ1sentence community (to which I do not belong.)_

_Why Raoul and Buri? Simple. Because they rock my rainbow knee-high toe socks off. _

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**1. Walking**

Walking to the stables Raoul falls in step with her. He offers a stuttering apology for what he did on Midwinter. Buri scowls, tells him that he shouldn't drink so much and walks off.

**2. Waltz**

He surprises her the second Midwinter after her arrival in Tortall by whisking her onto the dance floor. She would have been flattered if she hadn't smelt the alcohol on his breath.

**3. Wish**

Sometimes Buri wishes that she was still in Sarain; she misses her homeland like a swordsman would miss his sword arm. When Raoul learns of this he takes her riding for the afternoon and asks her to tell him _everything_ about the country.

**4. Wonder**

The first time he kisses her he is completely sober and that makes her wonder why he did it. Later she looks in the mirror and seeing the face staring back at her decides it was a dare.

**5. Worry **

Buri knows that she should not drink with him and worries that it will encourage his habit. But after all, what can one drink between friends on Beltane do?

**6. Whimsy**

Raoul would never admit it but he often finds himself daydreaming about the K'mir. He likes her gruff smile, her witty remarks and the way she can handle any weapon given to her.

**7. Waste/Wasteland **

Buri likens the destruction of Sarain by civil war to Raoul's drinking problem. Neither of them have a quick and easy solution.

**8. Whiskey and rum **

It is the second Midwinter after Buri's arrival that Raoul finally realises how bad his drinking problem really is. He sees it in the way she recoils from him as they walk through the palace gardens after their dance and in the way in which he cannot control his temper, tongue or hands.

**9. War**

He finally kicks the habit when she takes a more active role in the Queen's Riders. More than anything else it is because he cannot imagine what she would think of him if she saw him drunk on campaign.

**10. Weddings **

They have both attended countless friends' weddings. But Raoul, the famed Court Bachelor and Buri the K'mir Savage never thought that one day they might attend a wedding of their own. It just wasn't plausible.

**11. Birthday**

Buri insists that they do not celebrate - it's only another year after all. Raoul merely shrugs and drags her to an expensive eating house in the Lower City insisting that it's his treat and she _will not_ pay for the meal. When they finish eating some hours later the bill is split fifty-fifty. He can't exactly remember how she convinced him.

**12. Blessing **

He wonders which Gods decided to bless him the day they made his and Buri's paths cross.

**13.** **Bias**

The year he finally manages to talk her into wearing a _very feminine_ dress to the Midwinter celebrations he makes sure that he takes the time to assure her that she looks splendid. She is knows that he is lying when he compares her beauty to the Goddess herself but can't help but feel thrilled.

**14.** **Burning**

They do not write often but when she receives a letter from him she reads it once and then burns it - it makes her feel guilty later but she does not want to risk anyone accidentally damaging it.

**15. Breathing **

Buri teases him because she is faster to re-catch her breath after their lovemaking than him. Raoul just smiles and hazards that perhaps he got greater pleasure from the coupling than her. She snorts and proves to him that she can be pleasured just as easily, if not more so than he can.

**16. Breaking**

Neither of them intended to make love on Lord Wyldon of Cavall's desk so when they hear the sound of one his hawk shaped statues hitting the ground and shattering they both wonder how they will explain it to him.

**17. Belief **

She had known that love would be a long time in the coming. The Doi tribeswoman had told her just that years before. Looking back it's had to believe how long she actually had to wait. Though, just quietly, she thinks it was more than worth it.

**18. Balloon **

Raoul's invitation to his great-aunt's Midwinter function leaves Buri with a strange feeling in her chest. It is as if something is expanding inside of her which threatens to explode at any minute.

**19. Balcony **

He finds her outside on the balcony during the party taking in the view of Corus at night. Placing a cautious, gentle hand on her lower back he whispers that if the party is not to her liking _they_ can just leave.

**20. Bane **

It's the Third Company that is sent away from Corus first. Raoul curses the Grand Progress into oblivion but nothing he says can delay the Company's departure any longer.

**21. Quiet**

Buri thought that she would enjoy a weeks break in Corus from the Grand Progress but instead finds that without Raoul for distraction the palace is mind-numbingly boring and just a little _too_ quiet.

**22.** **Quirks**

He tells her quietly on one of their rare lazy afternoons together that he thinks the Own should get a kitten. She merely rolls her eyes and suggests that, perhaps, a puppy would be better suited to the lifestyle.

**23. Question **

Raoul seriously questions his sanity for the first time ever when the Third Company rides in at 3am and he finds himself walking the halls of the Palace towards Buri's rooms. He is glad to find, however, that she is awake as if she were waiting for him and decides that he is either sane or they are both fools.

**24. Quarrel**

The first big fight they ever have is over marriage. Raoul wants to do the right thing and make an honest woman of her whereas Buri is scared to death over the idea of stepping down from the position of Rider Commander and pursuing a life without all that action which has been a constant in her life for as long as she can remember.

**25. Quitting**

Though Buri never says it aloud, leaving the Riders for him was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

**26. Jump **

The first time Sarge walks in on Buri and Raoul making love in her office they jump apart like Rider Trainees caught in a misstep.

**27. Jester **

Buri had thought that Evin Larse would make a smart comment at the very least when Raoul walked into the Riders' Mess, pecked her lightly on the cheek and sat down next to her but for once the lad seemed to be lost for words.

**28. Jousting**

Even after living in Tortall for years Buri is still confused by any sport that revolves around men on horses with big sticks trying to unhorse each other for fun. Upon voicing her confusion to Raoul she is given a swift lesson in _unhorsing._

**29. Jewel**

Buri had never been that partial to jewels but when he buys her ruby earbobs for Midwinter her opinion of them is quickly changed. That is, until she realises that it means that she will need to get her ears pierced.

**30. Just **

Although Raoul has always thought that Wyldon of Cavall is just and fair he can't help but feel somewhat slighted when Cavall merely looks at the broken hawk statue and raises his brows questioningly. Buri on the other hand is relived that he chose not to pursue the issue any further.

**31. Smirk **

Buri can't help but smirk just a little when he loses his first joust in more than fifteen years to his former squire. Later, however, she rubs soothing ointment into his bruises and does her best to heal his wounded pride.

**32. Sorrow **

If there's one thing that they both understand it's the sorrow that comes after war. Although they are both hardened warriors they never get used to the suffering that is caused by it. To cover the pain they laugh together over idiotic ideals and ideas such as 'chivalry' and the 'glory' of a warrior's life.

**33. Stupidity **

King Jonathan of Conté did not realise two of his favourite commanders had been courting until they walked in together, late and bleary eyed, to one of his council meetings.

**34. Serenade**

When Buri ambles into the Riders' mess after midday with tousled hair and sits down yawning Evin cannot help but begin a rendition of the soppiest love ballad he knows. Although she tells him to shut up Evin notices that she is wearing the largest grin he has ever seen and a shirt that is most definitely not hers if its size is any indication.

**35. Sarcasm**

Buri hides behind sarcasm when she is afraid of telling him how she really feels – he knows those remarks are not really her and chooses to say nothing.

**36. Sordid **

The aftermath of a battle is the time both Buri and Raoul detest most. When they lie in bed after a particularly bad skirmish they just stare at the ceiling and each knows that the other is thinking of the squalid battlefield and the Stormwings that came with the fight.

**37. Soliloquy**

When Raoul wakes he sees Buri pacing the bedroom talking to herself. When he later asks her about it she shrugs and tells him that she was debating with herself over whether to accept his marriage offer or not. Raising his eyebrows Raoul calls the K'mir a tease and then prods her for a response. She accepts his offer a week later after much persuasion.

**38. Sojourn **

Raoul begins to no longer dread extended stop-overs in Corus. Especially since Buri always manages to twist Thayet's arm so that the Seventeenth Rider Group is there at the same time.

**39. Share **

Working out the mechanics of sharing one standard issue King's Own bedroll takes much practice on the part of Buri and Raoul. They are both more than willing to put in long hours to get it right.

**40. Solitary**

After months of sharing a bedroll Raoul finds it difficult to readjust to sleeping alone in his. He wishes that Buri and the Seventeenth hadn't been sent back to Corus for supplies as he realises that without her he truly feels the cold of the autumn nights.

**41. Nowhere **

They can ride together all day and end up in the middle of nowhere so easily. Buri, however, is sure that it is always well planned out by Raoul due to the fact that they seem to end up in the same enticing wooded clearing a little _too_ regularly.

**42. Neutral**

Raoul asks her if she is in love with him. Buri's reply is a laugh and the remark: "Well I'm hardly neutral about the whole thing, am I?" She pulls him closer and reinforces the comment.

**43. Nuance **

At first she doesn't know the difference between love and lust but after several months with Raoul Buri learns that love is being able to forgive someone for anything. Even mistakes that were made twenty years before.

**44. Near**

Raoul holds her so close after their six months of separation due to the war that he can feel her heart tattoo its beat against his chest. He promises her that they'll never be apart for that long again.

**45. Natural **

Raoul thinks that he's never felt anything more natural than waking up next to her. It just feels right.

**46. Horizon **

Raoul has an inkling that maybe one day soon he should retire. Buri considers the idea that _maybe_ she is too old to have children. Neither of them say a thing. They will cross those bridges when the time comes.

**47. Valiant**

Buri is his idol. Raoul doesn't tell her this because he is sure that she will scoff or brush it off but secretly he knows that he couldn't go through everything she has been through and come out of it without being completely changed. He looks at Buri and still thinks of that beautiful gruff smile, those witty remarks and of a woman who knows her weapons. The only change is that she is now _his Buri._

**48. Virtuous**

After their first night together Raoul can't help but rethink his opinion of her. He had previously thought that she was somewhat chaste but one night with Buri has taught him that she is a lustful and captivating woman. He smiles to himself - he liked it, _a lot_.

**49. Victory**

When they hear the news - the war is over - Buri takes Raoul by the wrist and leads him to an out of the way storage closet. No one is surprised when neither of them turns up to dinner.

**50. Defeat**

Buri finally admits defeat on their wedding night. Their lovemaking in the past had been fiery and satisfying but it is not until they are married that she _completely _surrenders to him. Letting down all barriers with him is so much easier than she ever thought it would be.

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_I'd appreciate any reviews very much. I find it passing strange for people to favourite my pieces without leaving a review - it perplexes me._

_I've just started fifty themes on Neal/Yuki, Kel/Dom and Evin/Miri, which you should be seeing around quite soon._

_Kudos,_

_Gen_

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